James Cook (running back)

James Dalvin Cook III (born September 25, 1999) is an American professional football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning a national championship with them in 2021, and was selected by the Bills in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. Cook has earned the nickname "Captain Cook" which is a reference to British explorer and Naval Officer James Cook. After becoming Buffalo's lead tailback, Cook became the team's first rusher to attain over 1,000 yards in a single season since 2017, as well as scoring 16 rushing touchdowns in a single season (tying a franchise record set in 1975) and earning three Pro Bowl nominations and a second-team All-Pro award. In 2025, Cook led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,621, becoming the team's first player to lead the league in rushing since 1976. He is the younger brother of NFL running back Dalvin Cook.